Naruto : Uchiha Chronicles Redux

Pain.

That was the first thing Naruto's mind registered as his eyes blinked open in a blurry haze. Blue eyes flickering back and forth to their crimson counterparts could only do so much as to comprehend the shadow of an arm hovering over his head. His mind told him to stand down, every fiber of his being screaming not to move but his pride whispered otherwise.

Raising his arm to stop his enemy's sword, and cursing his own weakness for not being able to stop his arms from shaking; Naruto spat a glob of blood and spit aside. "You're done, Uchiha. I've won at last. Resistance is futile and you will submit." Hanzo stated thick and firm, his voice commanding authority.

"...damn it." Naruto cursed for what seemed like the millionth time today. "Why did you stop?!" the blonde hissed. His Sharingan finally gave way to naturally aspirated azure eyes. Hanzo's blade hovered over his forehead like an ominous shadow, just an inch here or an inch there, and Naruto's life would be done for. "…All I want to hear from your mouth is that you give up." Hanzo said after a moment of silence.

Naruto couldn't help but wince out a laugh, "What? Seriously?!" he clutched his bleeding innards to give himself some more time in this world. Hanzo smirked himself, moving on to sheathing his blade behind his back. If Naruto hadn't fought him, he have labeled him an overconfident jerk. But alas, given the position he was in right now, his words lacked the weight.

"This whole battle all you've done is taunt me, smirk to my face and if that wasn't enough you even disrespected my strength. You've tried some underhanded tactics, sure, but not once have you aimed your attacks at my back. Why is that?" Hanzo's words made absolutely no sense to the blonde. Here he was, ready to be killed and put six feet under and yet his opponent was taking his time. This bastard was enjoying this, wasn't he?

Pathetic.

"The same goes for you. My back was open to you plenty of times as well."

And there it was, the thing that both annoyed and elated Hanzo at the same damn time. That godforsaken, prideful smirk of his. "Admit it. Admit your defeat" Hanzo said with a bit more force than was necessary to get his point across in that thick skull of his.

Naruto shook his head, having no idea just what more this man wanted from him. "Well I do. I give up. I've given everything I've got and there's still no way I can beat you. The gap between our strengths is too large right now. You're strong, as loathe as I am to admit it."

Hanzo clasped his mask back onto his mouth to hide his smile, "It's good to see you finally realize the full terror of Hanzo the Salamander. You knew from the very start that you were no match for me. Even your comrades ran away with their tails between their legs. Then w not stay back and chance an escape when you know the inevitable?" Hanzo questioned in honest curiosity.

"I can't just turn my back to an opponent willing to give me a fight. And when your blade first met mine *cough* I don't know. Blood started pumping into my head and all I knew was that I couldn't just turn my back on you. It's sort of like an instinct I have, you know. Plus, Tsunade and the gang trusted me enough to take care of you and watch their back. I've let her down. Again."

"Instinct you say?" Hanzo rubbed his chin and sat down cross legged, "Intriguing."

"Yeah. I have my moments." Naruto sat a little upright to be eye level with the man. "Why don't you finish me off? Or is even finishing me off too belittling for someone of your stature?" Naruto knew his bark had no more bite to it. But this was all his ego could take. To be utterly destroyed by an enemy who was toying with him to the very end, add pitying to that… and well… it wasn't sitting well with his dazed mind and bruised ego right now.

It was mostly the latter than the former though.

"Quite the contrary actually," Hanzo dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. "I've lived longer than your feeble little mind can even begin to comprehend and fought more battles than the years you've been a ninja." Hanzo scoffed, practically insulted that his legendary status was being looked down upon, by a genin no less. "But I know strength when I see it. And yours is formidable I must admit. To vanquish it right now would be a terrible waste, wouldn't you agree?" Naruto shook his head in disbelief and just let it be. His body and mind were way too tired and beat up to even begin making sense of this situation.

Hanzo couldn't help but envy this runt's confidence. Even after being put through the grinder, standing in the face of likely death, Naruto seemed disappointed in being given the chance to live rather than being overjoyed about it. And to think that this brat reminded him so much of himself, sitting defeated in front of that man, all those years ago was annoying. Speaking of which, there was one other thing he had wanted to ask. "Tell me, boy. What is the name Uchiha Madara to you?" Hanzo questioned. He had way too much resemblance to Madara for it to be a mere coincidence.

Looks wise they maybe poles apart but there was something about them in common.

Their eyes and the pride that shone within them.

The only thing this brat didn't have was Madara's fabled strength. But given a few years, even Hanzo believed this runt could prove to be a worthy adversary. Not on the level as the once revered Uchiha had, however, he could still make a name for himself given some time.

There was a moment of silence when all was quiet in the clearing for a few long minutes "...Nothing. Never even heard of him." Naruto whispered and his hair shadowed his eyes.

"Hm." Hanzo hummed, "…That's disappointing,"

All his younger life, Hanzo had thought himself to be unbeatable - omnipotent even by the time he'd hit his teens. But one day, in scourge of some wandering Leaf shinobi who had lost his way in his country and was trying as he might to sneak into the Land of Earth, Hanzo had ambushed a certain someone in hopes of taking his head and retrieving a fortune for it.

It had not ended well for him. At all.

Hair dancing in the wind, arms crossed. "Go on and cling to your wretched life, worm. Come see me in a hundred years when you are worthy to call yourself a man. Until then, survive." Madara had once spoken to a defeated Hanzo. He had been but a bug in his way. A bug who Madara had been more than obliging to squat. That day, in a rare occurrence, Madara had shown mercy to his enemy. Hanzo had made a name for himself by becoming a person who had the balls to fight Madara one on one, and survive the next day to tell his tale.

A tale Hanzo had been ashamed of even thinking about, much less telling someone.

Maybe Madara had pitied him. Or Hanzo had been unworthy to die by a legend's hands.

It was probably the latter.

This Uchiha certainly had that same look in his eyes and the ego to match if nothing else. It was truly a shame that the two weren't related though, "Why do you ask?" Naruto's question broke Hanzo off of his trance. Hanzo was getting to nostalgic for his own good.

"Nothing. Just reminiscing about old times." he waved him off. "It doesn't concern you."

Naruto chuckled, "Don't you go dying on me from old age next," now that would be embarrassing.

But the shouts growing louder and louder from afar broke Hanzo off his reverie as he stood up. Turning around to leave, he stopped for a moment and looked back. Hesitant if what he was about to do was right or not. But after a minute or so of deep contemplation, Hanzo chucked a vial in the boy's lap and turned to leave. "That antidote will only relieve you off the poison. If fate should have it that you do indeed survive those wounds - I'll be looking forward to our next battle in the near future. Though the odds for you are one in ten. At best." well, the odds at least were humbling, Naruto thought in mild bemusement.

Naruto laughed again and removed his hand to show Hanzo a gaping hole in his lower left waist - a hole wide enough that it was showing the boulder behind him like clear glass, "What makes you think I'll survive this?" he asked with a touch of sarcasm, eyes smiling.

Mischievous, chivalry, twinkle of hope and happiness beyond measure. But he still didn't have an ounce of fear in those eyes of his, cheeky little brat that. He'd live, probably.

"I have a gut feeling is all," Hanzo walked away, hand held high in a non-committed wave. "But I would watch my back from now on, if I were you." he remarked as an afterthought.

"Bastard," Naruto chuckled when Hanzo was out of hearing range and popped the vial open. Gulping down it's contents in one go, the antidote spread through his bloodstream like liquid fire. The pain became so intense that he had to let the pressure off of his wound. But even then, Naruto willed himself not to scream. If he did, Tsunade would lose her wits and her focus if she head him. And probably do something stupid to rush back to his aid. That was simply unacceptable. Now that gave Naruto a different perspective to contemplate.

What did Hanzo mean by that?

Were his friends in trouble too?

What if Tsunade needed him right now?

Was that what Hanzo meant by that?

What if she was hoping for him to return to her aid and was in trouble?

That would not bode well for her, or for him. At all. He had to get his body moving.

And get it moving now!

"But I've got to do something about this wound first," he muttered in annoyance.

His hands idly searched around for a kunai in his holster and upon finding one, Naruto stuck it in between his teeth and clasped the bloodied hole in his abdomen tightly closed with his fist. Naruto threw his head back in anguish and pushed his hand inward and inward while his chakra transformed into flames, burning his innards to a crisp. His legs swatted back and forth in agony and he slammed his head on the boulder as he willed himself to change his seal into a horse sign with his free hand. This was truly the one moment he regretted not having any medical expertise. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

It was either dying like that, or die like a dog.

And he'd rather die trying than dying a useless death.

If his life could save another, a life as precious as hers…

"F-Fire Style-

Naruto hesitated. Even through all the torture training Tobirama had put him through, Naruto couldn't help but let fear overtake him for but a moment. A couple of tears rolled down his eyes in sheer terror. His mind couldn't even begin to comprehend the kind of pain that would ensue after this. But the thought of those smiling hazel eyes, that charmingly stupid smile and Tsunade's loud laughs made his resolve steel once more. Shaking hand morphed itself into a composed Tiger Seal and Naruto breathed a narrow stream of flames to sear his wounds close and to keep that vision of a smiling paradise still a reality.

"AHH!"

It was even more painful than he'd ever imagined. His entire body shook, eyes widened like there was no tomorrow, heart convulsed, lungs ached for air and his face writhed in agony as the foul smell of smoldering flesh struck Naruto's nostrils. It took all his willpower just to stay awake and not pass out then and there. But he couldn't pass out like this, not when…

Tsunade could have need of his help.

This was a bad idea.

Naruto knew it from the moment he started walking. Or stumbling was more like it. His arms felt like stumps made of lead by this point. His legs probably weighed a ton and had a few cracks in them here and there. He could practically feel the cracks so take his word for it, the cracks were indeed present and accounted for. And Hanzo's antidote felt more like poison right now. Even if it was one, Naruto wasn't particularly sure of his chances for survival. He was limping with a makeshift crutch carved out of a wooden stick for support.

What help could he possibly give her given his condition?

None.

The most he could come up with was to hide from Tsunade's sight until necessity for him arose and jump in front of a lethal blow for her should the need arise for such drastic measures. Not a glamorous plan, sure, but it was all Naruto could come up with given his flaccid state. In the end, even Naruto knew in his heart that it was all just an excuse to see Tsunade one more time should his body and soul finally give out on him. A fucking shield. That was all he was worth right now.

But it was fine if it helped Tsunade, he comforted himself.

So this was what death felt like, huh, Naruto marveled. Ego bruised, pride crushed, body probably broken beyond repair and yet his thoughts felt sharp. His heart felt so clear. It was pure serenity and tranquility bound to emotion in human form. Another cough rocked his body, and Naruto took his time to empty his guts on a tree. Blood and some other stuff he couldn't make sense of spilled on Mother Earth. Eventually, Naruto started walking again.

Tsunade would have killed him had she seen him do that.

That girl loved nature for reasons beyond his feeble psyche.

"Tsunade," Naruto whispered, lightheaded. Knees finally gave way to ground as all strength left his body.

"Naruto,"

Said blonde thought he was hearing things in death, but thankfully it was her voice. And Naruto soon realized that he wasn't death-dreaming, when, instead of crashing face first into the ground; a soft and strong pillar of support held him up firmly. Naruto didn't know what it was. The softness, the scent or perhaps the distinct feel of her chakra that gave her presence away. But given how blurry his vision was, those were the only things he could rely on to recognize her.

"Stay still," a soft voice murmured in his ear and he felt a small surge of chakra moved his arms up. Slowly, like a sculptor who appraised his murals, Naruto caressed her waist and his hand gently roamed across her back. She was still as soft and welcoming as she ever was.

Now this was a proper way to go out, Naruto thought with a smile. "I'm so glad you're okay, I had no idea what kind of sick freaks were tagging along that man." he whispered. Transferring his crutch onto the other hand, Naruto held out his arm to Tsunade as a gesture and she wordlessly stepped into his embrace without hesitation; never once removing her hand from his gaping wound. It was a bit wobbly, sure, but it was no less heartfelt than it ever was. Naruto buried his face in her hair and breathed in the earthy, ashen scent of her hair that told him she had been in this battlefield for way too long.

"Baka," Tsunade sniffed. "…worry about yourself this once."

"I'm okay," Naruto lied weakly, his vision darkening. "…I just have to shut my eyes for a bit."

"Oi!" Tsunade shook him gently. "Don't sleep. Stay awake! You must stay awake!"

But her attempts at keeping him awake were futile, even her medical chakra was failed.

Naruto's pain filled consciousness gave way to blissful unconsciousness. Orochimaru, meanwhile, stood behind the two to keep them guard and kept observing their exchange without even a word. Neither was it his place to speak nor was he interested in them.

His mind was too intrigued by the sudden spurge of growth in plants around him.

He made sure to take some samples too.

Now that, that was intriguing.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya clasped her shoulder tightly. "We should go and find sensei now. This place is compromised."

"Yeah," Tsunade wiped her wet cheeks and nodded, hoisting Naruto upon her shoulders. "Let's go Orochi!"

Said boy stopped collecting his plant samples and pocketed them, nodding, "Let leave."

All of them took to the trees to find Hiruzen and get back to the Leaf as soon as possible.

Konohagakure no Sato

Senju Households

Uzumaki Mito, contrary to popular beliefs that ran around the village, was infact a perfectly fine and emotionally sound woman. She wasn't interested in most of Leaf's affairs or it's people by virtue of her personality, but she did in fact care an awful lot about the people close to her which were so few she could probably count them at the tips of her fingers and have some left to continue on sewing her blanket like she was now. With that in mind, "Has something been bothering you, Tsunade?" she couldn't help herself from asking.

"No." was her granddaughter's curt and precise reply. As it had been for the past few days she had scooped herself up in the house. Mito smiled, "Why are you sulking then?" she asked, amused at how transparent her baby girl still was to her. Tsunade, having her back turned to Mito, pulled her knees to her chest and huffed, which Mito knew was her last line of defense before the girl melted in front of her eyes like warm butter after her subtle manipulations.

"I'm not sulking." Tsunade pouted.

"Hm." Mito hummed, unimpressed by her lies.

Tsunade twitched, "Really," she stressed. "I'm not."

Mito shook her head, "Sure." she remarked offhandedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tsunade snapped, annoyed by her curt answers.

Mito kept on knitting lock after lock on her blanket in ignorance, "Nothing at all."

Her granddaughter's eye ticked, "Why can't you just believe me for once, baa-chan?!" Tsunade protested.

"How can you believe your own words when they hold no weight to them, honey?" Mito replied calmly, cool as a cucumber. Try as she might, Tsunade couldn't conjure up a retort. It was funny for Mito to see her try though, she looked constipated if Mito hadn't known her so well. "Ngh!~" Tsunade whined childishly and forced her face to hide into her lap. That was all Tsunade could do to save the little self dignity she had left in a spur of the moment.

The sight itself was damn near adorable for an oppressive grandmother to witness and not do something about it. "Aw." Mito cooed softly, placing aside her sewing kit and moving closer to hold her girl from behind. "What's gotten you into such a rut, huh?!" Mito smiled even more seeing Tsunade readily untie her hair so Mito could work her magic into them. Mito wrapped her arms around Tsunade's waist and placed a chaste kiss on top her head.

Tsunade nearly melted then and there.

"How did you know I was troubled?" Tsunade asked with a tilt of her head, finally tired of arguing with a wall that she knew she couldn't conquer.

Mito gave her a knowing smile, "You haven't been coming to me for any medical lessons, no training, no meetings with your friends. Plus, I do cook in this house everyday. So, I know when you aren't eating right." Tsunade had the decency to look a tad bit sheepish.

"You haven't even gone to visit the hospital even once since Naruto's condition stabilized." the sour look on Tsunade's face hearing that wasn't lost to Mito but she ignored it, for now.

"Why should I care if he's stabilized? He can go and die for all I care." Tsunade snapped.

Mito rose an eyebrow, "So, all that crying outside the operation theater during Naruto's surgery I heard was a lie…" she mused.

Tsunade blushed, "It wasn't like that! I was just worried was all, I'd do that for anyone!" she asserted valiantly, but it was a losing battle, even she herself knew that.

Suddenly, the picture behind Tsunade's constipated face from earlier became clear in Mito's eyes, "You two had a fight, I assume?" she idly wondered, easing the kinks in Tsunade's glittering hair. Well kempt hair were a matter of pride for noble women, after all.

"How can we have a fight?" Tsunade thundered, surprising Mito.

"Why not?" as far back as Mito could remember, her two blondes bickered on practically everything until they were out of breath. Naruto was usually the one to surrender though, Tsunade had way too much energy to spare at the end of their aguments.

"I told you I don't care for him anymore, baa-chan." Tsunade tried to switch topics.

Not like Mito was having any of it, "I saw he had quite a rough time in the last mission…" she wondered idly.

If possible, Tsunade's mood turned even more sour. "Hell if I knew," she spat bitterly.

"He didn't tell you?" Mito asked surprised. Tsunade was usually the one Naruto confided in almost all of the time, even Tobirama had admitted her little ones knew each other more than even Mito knew them. That last part irked Mito far more than she bothered admitting.

"He doesn't tell me shit!" Tsunade nearly bit her tongue at the end.

Mito gave her a sharp look, "Language, young lady. I'll not have any of that in this house."

"Sorry," Tsunade apologized softly, ducking her head a little.

Mito gave her a tight squeeze to re-energize her downtrodden girl, "So that's what this is all about." Tsunade's silent stance gave Mito all the confirmation she needed.

There was a moment of silence, "I tried asking him like usual, you know." Tsunade whispered and Mito stayed silent so Tsunade could confide all her worries with her.

"But he just kept dodging my questions one way or another," Tsunade mumbled, letting her head be pulled onto her grandmother's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"He never does that," Tsunade babbled on.

Mito stoked her hair comfortingly, "Give him some time." she felt her neck get wet and tightly wrapped Tsunade up in her arms and tried to hide her from the world's worries.

"He was so cold to me," Tsunade sniffed.

"Shh." Mito tried to hush her up.

"I don't think he trusts me anymore, baa-chan." Tsunade finally cried.

Mito laughed softly, "Don't be silly,"

"He doesn't. I know it. After all, I wasn't there to help him when he needed me."

The thought that Tsunade would blame herself for Naruto's severe condition had come to Mito's mind, but her little one was taking it a step too far. She herself knew what Naruto was doing was only natural, it was just that Tsunade hadn't exactly had the same kind of experiences Mito had gone through all her life. He was simply uncomfortable letting Tsunade know he had been totaled by a foe. It must have taken a toll on his pride to let her see his condition, much less tell her what events had led him to it. The thought of Tsunade thinking of him as a weak nobody must have him troubled.

"Men usually have a saying that women are fickle. It's not exactly true, Tsunade." Mito's voice took a wizened warmth. "Men are usually far more vulnerable than us. They just hide it better." Tsunade looked at her grandmother with wide, moist eyes and kept her silence. She loved these moments when her grandmother would share stories upon stories of her younger days.

Mito's eyes clouded in fond nostalgia, "Your grandfather, for example, he was a silly little man in this house while I always played the responsible role." Tsunade smiled tearfully seeing her grandma looking so happy. "It was all a facade though," Mito admitted softly.

"A facade?" Tsunade parroted.

"Yes, a lie." Mito nodded. "He liked leaving all his worries the moment he stepped in the door to this house. It was only so we never got to realize all that he had to go through in his daily life. He honestly thought he had me in oblivion, that fool." Mito's smile countered her words. Seeing Tsunade's eyes mirroring her disbelief, Mito smiled knowing her thoughts.

"You thought he never had rough days?" it wasn't even her fault, to be honest. Hashirama had always been the happy go lucky man all his life, it was only in her arms that he showed his true, venerable self. After all, something troubling the 'God of Shinobi' was a laughable thought in and of itself. "He did have rough days, Tsunade. Rougher than most, infact. Being Hokage is no easy task. And being his first lady is even tougher still,"

"..." Tsunade had no words to make of Mito's admissions.

"Every now and then, your grandfather would have something he wanted to talk to someone about but couldn't. Be it his ego, shame, pride or whatever you want to call it. There were things he wouldn't ever want to confide to anyone about, not even Tobirama." Mito rambled on. "But a human can only bubble up so much. And when the time came for him to pop, he did it in the arms of the only person he ever truly trusted in his entire life."

"You." Tsunade whispered in amazement.

Mito smiled, and didn't deny it. Her cheeks took a crimson hue though, "He would go on and on like an idiot after a night together and parrot it all out in front of me. You should have seen him afterwards though, he looked so embarrassed and sheepish after it that it was hysterical." she laughed shamelessly at the her husband's former misfortunes.

"What did you do after that?" Tsunade asked, way too invested in the story right now.

"Nothing," Mito said, cleaning an unshed tear from the corner of her eyes.

Tsunade shot her a dirty look, "...Nothing." she parroted. Had it been her in place of her grandmother, there would be hell to pay for whoever would have made Naruto unhappy - unbeknownst to herself at what she was admitting to herself with her psycholgical comparisons.

"I just listened," Mito flicked her nose to garner Tsunade's attention. "There are times when that is all a man needs. Someone to listen to his heart. But those times are really rare and they only ever share those words with a special someone. Give Naruto some time, he'll come to you when the time for him to pop is finally there, and then he'll tell you everything." Mito said confidently.

Tsunade fidgeted, "…he will?" she murmured, unsure of her words.

"He will." Mito picked her chin up and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Tsunade threw her arms around Mito's neck, "I love you, baa-chan."

"I love you too, munchkin." Mito laughed, rubbing her arm gently.

Her mind drifted elsewhere as a sudden thought struck her mind. "Would you mind doing a mission for me, Tsunade?" she wondered out loud.

"Of course." Tsunade replied instantly, still content in snuggling her face in Mito's neck.

Mito knew these were the best times to get Tsunade to do something for her, as guilty as that made her, it was essential.

Tobirama would throw a fit when he learned what she had made them do, however.

"You'd have to take Naruto with you for it though," Mito stated the condition.

"Uh," Tsunade hesitated, but the petting Mito gave her hair caved her in. "Whatever," she mumbled childishly.

Mito nodded approvingly, "I'll have it approved by your granduncle then," she said.

"Where do we have to go for it?" Tsunade questioned glibly.

"Uzu." Mito replied simply.

Tsunade nearly gave a squeal in delight, "I'll get to see Ashina-jiji then!"

"Yes, that you will." Mito laughed in her hand. The last time she had visited Uzu, Hashirama and her father Ashina had nearly bankrupted their fortunes for Tsunade's gambling endeavors.

Seeing Tsunade smiling, "Gambling is prohibited though," Mito bashed Tsunade's hopes quickly before they got anywhere.

"Aw." Tsunade pouted.

Mito sighed, there was no need for another moment of bankruptcy in her house.

Konoha Hospital

Waking up in a hospital was getting annoying pretty fast if someone asked Naruto. But cuffed down to his bed limb for limb…well this was testing his patience far more than he'd like it being tested. It was the handiwork of Mito Baa-chan, no doubt about it. Anyone other than her wouldn't have been able to restrain him bar Tobirama, and he would at least have been able to dislocate a couple of joints using chakra to break free, but these dang things had suppression seals slapped over them like there was no tomorrow.

Idly, his mind wandered back to the fight and he wondered just how long he had been out for this time. "So…" a foreign yet known voice interrupted, breaking the silence in the room.

Naruto didn't even have to turn his neck to know who it was, "Old man…,"

"You got decimated the last I heard." Tobirama said, amused.

Naruto shot him a dirty look and yanked the chains on his wrists, "Do you mind?" he motioned to the keys hanging on the back of the main of the door.

"Not at all. I find it amusing if anything." Tobirama smirked at his agitated student. Naruto waited, and waited, and waited some more for him to do something about his cuffs but Tobirama didn't. Apparently much more content in letting him suffer for some good old amusement. His old man had a very sadistic sense of humor too, if Naruto were to say.

Naruto twitched, "Very funny." he said dryly.

Ignoring Naruto's glare, "It is from my side," Tobirama remarked instantly.

Naruto shook his head, sighing, "How long have I been out this time?" he asked.

"You've been kept in an induced come for a week," Tobirama replied.

So, counting the first two times it came down to a round total of a month.

"Great," Naruto heaved tiredly, rubbing his forehead. His wounds must have been rather severe if Mito Baa-chan had to go and sign on these drastic measures to keep him down.

"…You nearly died." Tobirama said after a moment of silence.

Feeling guilty and ashamed, "Yeah, I'm sorry." Naruto apologized.

Tobirama uncrossed his arms and got up from the windowsill, walking up to Naruto's bed. He raised his arm as soon as he reached it and Naruto pulled away his face with clenched eyes, fully expecting a slap for his weakness and failure on a crucial mission. When suddenly, out of nowhere, the arm wrapped around his shoulders and forcefully pulled his head into a firm chest.

"I'm glad you came back alive." Tobirama admitted in no more than a whisper, but his words were no less heartfelt than Mito's would have been in that moment. Naruto eyes widened and watered, and it hurt his heart far more than it would have had it been a slap in place of this, and so, he buried his face in Tobirama's chest with a soft wail of anguish.

Tobirama, having no prior experience in comforting someone gave his back some pats. "There there…" he muttered lamely. It still irked the current Hokage that his pupil had been expecting a slap for a failure on a mission way above his pay grade. But the kinds of things he had put him through in Naruto's younger years as part of his "training", Tobirama honestly wasn't surprised by Naruto's reaction. He had been inwardly furious hearing Naruto's condition, but Hiruzen's report stated that the spot where Naruto had battled his enemy had been a bridge when it had started but had been dissolved into a scorching crater by the time Hiruzen had laid witness to it.

His apprentice had fought valorously, and came out alive.

That was all a teacher could ask of his student, if Tobirama were to be honest.

Mito was correct in constantly nagging him with the fact that these children were still thirteen and way too green for the harsh reality lurking outside the Leaf's walls. Oftentimes he had overlooked Naruto's age during his training, going so far as to put him through things that would have made Hiruzen, or even Danzo quit being his students. But the boy had an ego the size of his grandfather's statue, and so, he had never once complained. Thus, Tobirama had pushed Naruto's limits even farther.

He clutched Naruto's shoulder tightly, veins bulging on his wrists, "Who was it that did this to you?" Tobirama asked. Tobirama's voice held no emotion and yet Naruto had never heard him sound as menacing and frightening as this. And Naruto didn't have to think twice to realize who Tobirama was referring to, "Some man named Hanzō, said he was from the Rain village." he said with a smile.

Even if Tobirama didn't show it most of the time, Naruto knew he cared.

That was enough.

Tobirama's jaw clicked in annoyance. He had indeed heard that name. Some idiot trying to bring revolution to the world was what he'd heard of him, "He said he knew my grandfather." Naruto added.

Tobirama sighed, having already feared this. "A mistake is more like it. Your grandfather left him alive during my brother's reign saying this Hanzō fellow was far too weak to stain his hands with. Hashirama never paid second mind to him either. But those two were on a different level altogether, so their strength measurement skills left much to be desired." he clipped, miffed.

If possible, Naruto felt even worse hearing this. Someone that man had crushed like a bug had returned the favor to him in full fervor while he had been unable to do anything about it.

It was humiliating.

Pathetic.

Moving on to more pressing matters, "I'm dissolving Squad Seven. Effective immediately." Tobirama revealed with the subtlety of a hammer. Even if the council hadn't been biting down on his back, he would have done it regardless lest he have his pupil going rogue. That was an outcome Tobirama was unwilling to let happen, ever.

"So…" Naruto hiccuped. "I'm no longer…"

Tendrils of water rose from the flower vase by his bedside, cutting off the shackles as if they were made of Styrofoam. Naruto rubbed his aching wrists, not even having the courage to look in his master's eyes. Tobirama eyed him curiously waiting for a reaction,"You are no longer a genin," he confirmed Naruto's fears with a nod.

Naruto chuckled, "Can't say I didn't expect this. One strike and I'm out, eh?" a lone tear gave his feelings away though.

Tobirama threw him his headband, "I have something different in mind for you." he smirked.

Naruto gave him an odd look, "Something different…" he parroted, weirded out by his vague replies.

As if on queue, the door to his room opened and in walked a man Naruto had never, ever seen before. And Naruto had to admit that the man looked intimidating enough that he would have to rate him at least a chunin, if not more. He had shaggy brown hair, reaching eye level and wore standard issued shinobi armor with proper holsters tucked in place. His shoulders were armor-less, showing he wasn't a man to shy away from some good old hand to hand combat.

Naruto had to wonder though, how did a man get a cross-shaped scar blotted on his chin.

It was stupid on an entirely new level.

"This is my subordinate," Tobirama introduced the man.

"Shimura Danzō," the man greeted with a stretched arm.

Naruto clasped his hand in a shake, "Uchiha Naruto," he greeted back equally politely.

Tobirama too it as his queue to cut in, "I'm laying down the foundations to an entirely new military organization that will only be called upon in times of extreme stress. Danzō will be heading this new organization and the only one his subordinates will answer to is me. I'll have direct authority to it's soldiers, no one else."

Naruto caught his gist, "No council?" he asked slickly.

Tobirama smirked, "Just me." he said with a nod.

Danzō looked at Tobirama and the man nodded back to his student, "Raise your sleeve." Tobirama commanded Naruto. Danzō's hands went through a few hand seals and he reached with his glowing right palm to touch Naruto's bicep. He would have, had Naruto not caught his wrist in a tight grip and glared at Danzō with his Sharingan activated.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" branding someone with a seal wasn't something Naruto was comfortable accepting from a complete stranger. Danzo narrowed his eyes into slits.

"Branding you," he replied simply.

Tobirama's teeth clicked, "It's necessary for all members, just a call sign of sorts when I would require your services." he explained to calm the two glaring parties down.

"I'm not having myself branded with a seal by some stranger," Naruto threw Danzō's wrist back roughly and pulled back his arm, Sharingan active all the time. Tobirama held his hand up to motion for Danzō to keep his cool here and nodded at Naruto. He couldn't even fault the boy having known just who it was that had trained him in the art of sealing.

Tobirama walked around the bed, "I'll do it then," he sighed and went through the same seals. Naruto memorized the seals unknowingly, even though he had practically no use for it and let Tobirama do it in Danzō's place.

"Sensei," Danzō spoke for the first time since coming here. "He doesn't take orders well."

"He's a worthy candidate for this organization regardless. I've trained him. Have faith." Tobirama insisted.

"As you say then," Danzō conceded, not willing to argue with a man he respected so much.

"What does joining this organization entail anyways?" Naruto asked, looking at the weird two pronged mark on his shoulder curiously. It didn't even hurt, so that was a relief to him give his present condition.

"You will protect the village from exceptional threats, conduct high-risk missions into enemy territory, and deal with extremely strong ninja. You will also be responsible for carrying out assassinations, tracking, surveillance, and missions requiring specially trained ninja. Some of our members will serve as interrogators that probe the minds of enemy ninja to learn information valuable to the village and we shall recruit our own medics as well. And since we will become so vital to the village's operations, we cannot be arrested by regular police forces without a warrant. While many will choose to serve in this organization for furthering their careers, they can return to the standard forces if they choose to - should the pressure become too much for them that is." Danzō replied instead, quick on his feet to make a jab at Naruto with his last words.

Naruto blinked, "It seems like the old man here is the dictator over there,"

Danzō couldn't believe Tobirama let him away with such blatant disrespect in front of everyone, "Lord Second." he corrected, earning a glare from Naruto. He was already beginning to dislike this man and it wasn't even his first day in this organization yet. Tobirama threw Naruto a scroll containing his equipment and motioned for him to unseal it.

"You'll be joining it after returning from the last mission Mito assigned you as a genin." Tobirama told him, his voice laced in authority.

Naruto unsealed the scroll, caressing the leopard shaped mask on his lap gently, "What's it called?" he questioned, holding up the well made grey Kevlar jacket to inspect it closely.

Tobirama couldn't help but puff his chest out in pride, "The ANBU Black Ops."

A/N : There is the next chapter. Sorry for letting this story get sidetracked, but I got back to it anyhow. I wanted to get the mission to Uzu done and dusted with in this chapter, but the word length honestly shocked me when I ended the last perspective there. Hope you all liked it, I'll wrap up that mission in the next chapter and three or so chapters later take a time-skip that will go into the meat of the plot. The battle with Hanzō will be recapped too at a later date, so don't worry about that. I just found it important to leave it for a powerful moment just before the time-skip takes place to finalize Naru-Tsuna bonds in the final pre-skip chapter. And on a side note, for all those who follow Desert Flower as well, I've decided not to go the harem route on that story and will follow it as a single pairing all the way. It wouldn't be fair for the readers who got in expecting something to get something entirely different in the end and I've worked out the plot for it too so no worries there. I've rambled on long enough, so shoo and read my other fics.

Until next time, keep reading and reviewing!

Ja Ne ;)